STRIVE Birmingham Executive Director Quiwintre Frye with the first graduating cohort of Fresh...
Fresh Start Career Skills Instructor Quentin Hatcher with graduate Damien
Birmingham, AL – In a city celebrated for its resilience and spirit of progress, a quiet, powerful transformation is taking place. It’s happening within the walls of STRIVE Birmingham, where individuals seeking a second chance are discovering the tools, support, and opportunity to rewrite their futures. The Fresh Start program, designed for our justice-involved community members, is not merely a social good; it is a strategic imperative for a safer, more prosperous Birmingham. For this transformation to realize its full potential, it requires the committed support of our entire community, especially our local employers who stand to gain a loyal and motivated workforce.
The challenge of re-entry is not an individual burden but a community-wide concern. The cycle of incarceration carries immense social and economic costs. However, a definitive solution is within our grasp: meaningful employment. The data is unequivocal. Nationally, studies have shown that formerly incarcerated individuals who maintain employment for one year have a recidivism rate of just 16%, a stark contrast to the 52% rate (source: U.S. Chamber of Commerce) for those who remain unemployed. A stable job is the single most effective tool in breaking the cycle of re-incarceration.
This is precisely where STRIVE Birmingham’s Fresh Start program intervenes with a proven model. While the Birmingham program just celebrated its first graduating class in May, the national results for STRIVE speak volumes: an impressive 70% job retention rate one year after placement. This isn't just about finding someone a job; it's about preparing them for a career.
Fresh Start graduate speaker Paul
The journey begins with STRIVE START, a rigorous four-week Career Readiness training that serves as the program's foundation. This is not a simple resume workshop. It is an intensive course in the critical soft skills that employers consistently name as their greatest need. Students delve into a curriculum focused on mindset, personal accountability, professional etiquette, financial capability, and the communication skills necessary to thrive in a team environment. They are coached, challenged, and mentored to become exemplary employees.
Following this essential preparation, students advance to Occupational Skills Training (OST), developed in partnership with Jefferson State Community College, to meet real-world local demand. With certifications in high-growth fields like logistics, construction, and telecommunications, STRIVE graduates enter the workforce with skills that are immediately valuable to Birmingham employers.
Crucially, STRIVE's commitment doesn't end with a job offer. The program provides a lifetime of holistic support, including one-on-one case management and referrals for stable housing and wellness services. This comprehensive web of support is the key to ensuring that a new job becomes a lasting career, fostering the stability that benefits the individual, their family, and our entire community.
The success of the first Fresh Start cohort, in which every graduate had a job offer upon completion, is a powerful proof of concept. Now, the opportunity and responsibility shift to us.
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A Call to Action for Birmingham
The success of STRIVE and the future of its students are inextricably linked to the willingness of Birmingham's economic development community to become partners in this work. This is our call to action:
- To Birmingham Employers: We urge you to look past a conviction and see a candidate. Open your hiring process to STRIVE graduates. Partner with STRIVE to understand your workforce needs and let them provide you with pre-screened, trained, and motivated employees who are dedicated to seizing their second chance. By doing so, you are not taking a risk; you are making a smart, bottom-line decision that also happens to change a life.
- To Community Leaders and Citizens: Champion this cause. Advocate for fair-chance hiring practices. Support STRIVE Birmingham through volunteering, mentorship, or donations. Your voice and your support can help dismantle the barriers that prevent motivated individuals from becoming tax-paying, contributing members of our community.
Investing in STRIVE’s Fresh Start program is an investment in the economic and social fabric of Birmingham. It is a direct, proven strategy to reduce crime and strengthen our workforce. Let us be a city that believes in the power of a second chance, and in doing so, build a safer, more prosperous future for every citizen.
To learn more about partnering with STRIVE Birmingham, please visit our website at strive.org/birmingham, or contact our office directly at birmingham@strive.org. Your next great employee is waiting.
About STRIVE
STRIVE is a national workforce development solution for people ready and motivated for a new start. We offer tuition-free skills and job-readiness training, one-on-one support and lifetime personal coaching. We create partnerships with employers that result in pathways to life-changing careers while helping employers close critical gaps in their workforce.
